Rams sign Blake Grupe and release Harrison Mevis after Bills loss
Key takeaways
- The Rams let go of kicker Harrison Mevis on Tuesday. They signed Blake Grupe to take his place.
- Mevis missed two kicks in a 37-34 overtime loss to the Bills. One kick was blocked in extra time.
- Grupe kicked for the Saints and Colts before this move. His first Rams game comes against the Cardinals.
The Los Angeles Rams have a new kicker Blake Grupe takes over from Harrison Mevis The team made the change on Tuesday.
It came one day after a tough loss.
What happened
The Rams lost 37-34 to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night The game went to overtime Overtime means extra time after a tied game.
You can read more about the Monday night game against the Bills.
Mevis missed two kicks in that game He missed a kick from 50 yards in the first quarter Then he had a kick from 48 yards blocked in overtime.
A Bills player got a hand on the ball That kick could have won the game Here is the story of the blocked kick in overtime.
The Rams let Mevis go on Tuesday They signed Grupe from the New York Jets Grupe was on the Jets' practice squad.
A practice squad is a small group of backup players The move was first reported by NFL Network Reuters and the Rams then confirmed the change.
Mevis had a rough start to the season He made five of nine field goals in five games A field goal is a kick worth three points.
He made all 14 extra-point kicks An extra point is a short kick worth one point.
That was a big drop from last year Mevis joined the Rams midway through the 2025 season He took over from Joshua Karty.
He made 12 of 13 field goals in nine games He made all 39 extra-point kicks In the playoffs, he made all six field goals.
He also made all nine extra points One of those kicks beat the Bears It won a playoff game.
Coach Sean McVay spoke after the Bills game He said the kicking game was "not even close to good enough " He said, "It cost us the game tonight.
" On Tuesday, he softened that a little He said Mevis was not the only reason for the loss But he said the team needed better production.
Why it matters
Kickers can decide close games This game was close One kick could have won it.
A missed kick can change a whole season The Rams know this well They have changed kickers before.
Last year, they moved from Karty to Mevis Now they move from Mevis to Grupe.
Each change brings fresh hope Each change also brings risk A new kicker must learn fast.
He must learn the snap He must learn the hold He must learn the timing.
The snap is the pass back to the holder The hold is how the ball is set for the kick.
Grupe brings real game time He has played in 50 NFL games That number comes from Reuters.
He made 86 of 105 field goals That is 81.9 percent He made 96 of 98 extra points.
That is 98 percent These numbers show steady work They do not promise future success.
But they give the Rams hope.
Grupe started in the NFL with the Saints in 2023. He made 75 of 94 field goals in 45 games there Then he moved to the Colts late last year He made all 11 of his field goals in five games.
Five of those kicks came from more than 40 yards The Rams noticed that strong finish.
McVay said Grupe was the "best guy available that had real game experience " He praised Grupe's work with the Colts He said the team would not hold a kicking contest.
Grupe gets the job straight away The team wants him to build on his Colts form The Bills game also had other big plays.
What happens next
Grupe gets his first Rams game in Week 6. The Rams play the Arizona Cardinals That game is his first test Fans will watch his first kicks with care.
A good start can build trust fast A bad start can bring more questions.
Mevis now looks for a new team His strong 2025 season is on his record He was strong in big playoff games.
Another team may give him a chance.
The Rams must also fix the whole kicking unit McVay said he would "evaluate everything " That means he will look at all parts of the unit.
The blocked kick shows the whole unit must do its job The misses show the kicks must fly straight.
For now, Grupe has the job The Rams hope he brings calm to the kicking game His first kicks for the Rams will tell the early story.
The Cardinals game is the next step.
More sports news today: Parker Messick starts ALCS Game 2 for Guardians; Barcelona beats Galatasaray in Champions League; Boca vs Vasco in Copa Sudamericana semifinal; Maple Leafs vs Mammoth NHL preview.
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